For those who don't want to wait for the next installments of my ANKoC review, I recommend Jason Coker's open letter to BML, posted here.
The question "What about God the monster?" fit well with our youth pastor's message from this past Sunday, entitled "Imaginary Jesus". The Jesus we prefer and like is always nice, always loving, is there when we need Him and doesn't challenge us in uncomfortable ways. This Jesus certainly wouldn't want us to suffer.
Sometimes the difference between the imaginary Jesus and the real Jesus is rather subtle but there is a difference. Idolatry isn't just a problem of having other gods besides God, it's also the constant temptation to change the revelation of the true God and construct an image of Him that is palatable to our own taste and to what we find acceptable.
In a similar way, Jason is asking Brian some important probing questions at the end of his post, taking into account that part of God's self-relevation indicating a clear distance / otherness, complementary to others that speak of His nearness and incarnation. He writes:
"1. If God is God and I am not, shouldn’t I expect to find some of God’s attributes to be personally objectionable?
2. Closely related to #1: Isn’t there some sense in which God must always be “the monster” or else cease to be God?
3. Is there room in your theology for God as “the monster” alongside God as the merciful liberator? If so, how?"
I think those are excellent questions that reflect some of my own concerns as well.
